These Meta AI prompts help you create images, edit your own photos and animate stills. Copy one, swap the [brackets] for your details, and use only photos you own or have permission to use. Meta's own tip is to begin with "imagine" or "create an image" and be specific.
Meta AI sits inside the apps many of us already open every day, and it can turn a sentence into pictures, edit a photo you upload, and animate a still image into a short video. That makes it a good playground for social posts, small business graphics and plain old fun.
Meta's help centre gives a clear steer on prompts: begin with "imagine" or "create an image", and be specific. The ideas below build on that and are grouped by what you're making. Swap the [brackets] for your own details. Use your own photos, or photos of people who've agreed, and don't ask for well-known real people, living artists' styles or other people's characters. If you want the bigger picture on pictures for a business, see my guide to AI images for business.
Meta AI prompts for social media images
Meta says Meta AI generates multiple images per prompt, so you get a few options each time.
Eye-catching post background
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Imagine a clean, bright background for a social post about [topic], with soft [colour] shapes and lots of empty space in the middle for text.
Quote card backdrop
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Create an image of a calm, textured paper background in [colour] with a small plant in the corner, leaving space for a quote.
Flat-lay of my products
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Imagine a tidy flat-lay of [product] on a [wooden table or marble surface] with natural window light, a few simple props and room to add a caption.
Seasonal greeting
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Create an image for [occasion] showing [scene], in a warm, hand-painted style with soft colours and no text.
Simple icon set
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Create a set of four matching icons for [topics], in a rounded line style with one accent colour, each on a plain white background.
Cover image for a post
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Imagine a wide cover image for an article about [topic], showing [simple scene], in a modern flat illustration style with [colour] accents.
Meta AI prompts for putting yourself in the picture
Meta says to include "me" or "myself" in the prompt to put yourself in the image. Only add another person when they've agreed.
Me in a new setting
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Imagine me sitting at a sunny café table in [city style, for example a small Italian town], laughing with a coffee, shot like a relaxed travel photo.
Me as a professional
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Create an image of me giving a talk on a small stage, speaking to an engaged audience, in a natural documentary photo style.
Me in a favourite hobby
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Imagine me [doing a hobby, for example baking or hiking] in a cosy, well-lit scene, drawn as a warm watercolour illustration.
Me with a friend who agreed
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Imagine me and @[friend's username] on a sunny beach at sunset, smiling, as a natural holiday snapshot. They've said yes to this.
Me as a cartoon
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Create a friendly cartoon version of me with [hair and clothing details], standing against a plain pastel background, for a profile picture.
Meta AI prompts for editing a photo
Meta's help centre says you can upload an image to edit, or edit one you've generated. Use a photo you own.
Tidy the background
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Edit this photo to replace the background with a clean, softly blurred [setting], keeping me and my clothes exactly the same.
Change the mood
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Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Edit this photo so it looks like golden hour, with warm light and long soft shadows, without changing anyone's face or pose.
Remove a distraction
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Remove the [object] from the background of this photo and fill the space so it looks natural.
Try a new colour
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Edit this photo to change my [item, for example jumper or sofa] to [colour], keeping the texture and shading realistic.
Brighten a dull photo
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Edit this photo to make it brighter and clearer, with warmer colours and sharper details, but keep it looking natural rather than over-processed.
Switch the style
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Edit this photo into a soft pencil sketch, keeping the composition and faces recognisable.
Meta AI prompts for animating pictures
Meta says you can tap a generated image and then tap Animate, optionally adding a prompt. Keep the movement simple.
Gentle scenery movement
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Animate this image with a slow camera drift and gently moving [clouds, waves or leaves], keeping the scene calm and natural.
A small product reveal
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Animate this product photo with a slow push-in and a soft sparkle of light across the surface, ending still on the product.
Friendly character wave
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Animate this cartoon character so it smiles, waves once and blinks, then returns to a still pose.
Food and steam
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Animate this photo of [dish] with a little steam rising and a slow camera move towards the plate.
Looping background
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Animate this image into a smooth loop with subtle movement only, suitable as a calm background behind text.
A quick word on keeping things tidy. Save the prompts that give you a look you like, and reuse the same wording whenever you need a matching image. Repeating your colour, light and style words across posts is what makes a feed look like it belongs to one person or brand, even when each picture is different. If a result isn't right, change one detail in the prompt rather than rewriting everything.
How to get better results from Meta AI prompts
- Start with "imagine" or "create an image", which is Meta's own advice for the best results.
- Be specific. Meta says specific prompts give better results for both images and videos, so name the setting, the light and the style.
- Pick from the options. Meta AI generates multiple images, so choose the closest and refine from there.
- Keep animation prompts short. One clear movement beats a long list of actions.
- Check where you can use it. Meta says the apps and websites aren't yet available everywhere, and some features may be limited by region.
If you'd like to go further with moving pictures, I've rounded up options for animating a picture with AI for nothing and the free AI animation tools for beginners.
I keep every related walkthrough in the ChatGPT Prompts and Limits: 30 Guides to Fun Prompts, Photo Edits and Daily Caps. To write your own, try the free tool that writes the prompt for you.
Frequently asked questions
What are Meta AI prompts?
They're the text instructions you give Meta AI to create or edit images and videos. Meta recommends starting with "imagine" or "create an image" and being specific.
How do I put myself in a Meta AI image?
Meta's help centre says to include "me" or "myself" in your prompt. To add someone else, include @ followed by their username, and only do that when they've agreed.
Can Meta AI edit my own photos?
Yes. Meta says you can upload an image to edit or edit one that you generated.
Can Meta AI turn a picture into a video?
Yes. In the Meta AI app, tap a generated image and tap Animate, then add a prompt if you'd like to.
Is Meta AI available everywhere?
Not yet. Meta says the apps and websites aren't available everywhere and some features may be limited by region.
